To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 04 Nov 2020
Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020

"My Lords, I had wanted to spend my three minutes spelling out the potential alternative to lockdown, namely focused protection, because the Government have not taken it seriously enough. A staggering 45% of the UK’s Covid deaths have come among the 0.6% of people who live in care homes. That …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020
Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes
Wednesday 11th March 2020

Asked by: Viscount Ridley (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Health Organization's decision to welcome the government of India's decision to ban e-cigarettes; and what plans they have to implement a similar ban in the UK.

Answered by Lord Bethell

The World Health Organization recommends countries either ban or regulate e-cigarettes. The Government has no current plans to ban e-cigarettes in the United Kingdom and they continue to be regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. It remains the goal of the Government to maximise the public health opportunities presented by e-cigarettes to reduce smoking, while managing any risks. UK regulated e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking, but they are not risk free. Research shows e-cigarettes are effective in helping some smokers to quit. We continue to keep the evidence base on e-cigarettes under review and the next Public Health England annual review on e-cigarettes will be published this month.

Written Question
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Wednesday 11th March 2020

Asked by: Viscount Ridley (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage they pay of the costs of the World Health Organization's secretariat for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Answered by Lord Bethell

For the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Secretariat work programme for January 2020 to December 2021, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pays 5.9240% of the assessed contribution as a member of the Convention. This amounts to $521,340. The UK ratified the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, in June 2018, and, as a Member, pays 14.9691% of the assessed contribution. This amounts to $748,411 for January 2020 to December 2021. The WHO FCTC publishes details of assessed contributions online on its website.

In addition, the UK Government contributes funds to the FCTC 2030 project, through official development assistance funding, which is hosted in the WHO FCTC Secretariat. £15 million has been committed to the five-year project to support low and middle income countries improve their tobacco control. The project concludes at the end of March 2021.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 22 Jan 2020
Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Threat to UK Citizens

"My Lords, does my noble friend agree with one of the precepts of Darwinian medicine that there is generally a trade-off between virulence and contagiousness and that, in the world of viruses, if you want to spread by casual contact, it tends to help to keep the patient healthy and …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Threat to UK Citizens
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 14 Jan 2020
Health: Vaping

"My Lords, my noble friend will be aware that this week sees the centenary of the prohibition amendment in the United States, a policy that resulted in disastrous health outcomes and a huge increase in criminality and was repealed within 10 years. Does she feel that history is being repeated …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Health: Vaping
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 15 Jul 2019
NHS: Automation

"My Lords, does my noble friend agree with one of the key points made by Professor Topol that one of the benefits of artificial intelligence is the “gift of time”, as he has put it? In other words, patients can spend more time with their doctor if certain more routine …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: NHS: Automation
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 02 Apr 2019
Tobacco Harm Reduction

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of smoking and incidence of lung cancer in Sweden as a result of steps taken by that government; and what plans Ministers have to visit that country as part of their forthcoming review of tobacco harm reduction...."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Tobacco Harm Reduction
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 02 Apr 2019
Tobacco Harm Reduction

"My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. She will be aware that the policy of harm reduction, whereby a less harmful new technology is used to displace a more harmful technology, was pioneered in this country by the noble Lord the Lord Speaker when he was Health …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Tobacco Harm Reduction
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 24 Apr 2018
NHS: Artificial Intelligence

"My Lords, is the Minister aware that many parts of the world envy Britain’s strengths and opportunities in AI, particularly in the health area, and that government procurement could turn this early lead into a golden opportunity for the UK?..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: NHS: Artificial Intelligence
Written Question
Smoking: Young People
Monday 9th April 2018

Asked by: Viscount Ridley (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learnt from Norway's success in reducing its smoking rate among young women from 30 per cent to 1 per cent in the last 16 years.

Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy

The Government published its Tobacco Control Plan (TCP), Towards a Smokefree Generation: A Tobacco Control Plan for England, in July of 2017. In developing policy proposals for the plan it reviewed evidence on how other leading tobacco control countries have implemented policies to reduce tobacco use.

Smoking rates for women in England are currently at 13.7%, the lowest they have ever been. As outlined in the TCP there is a commitment to reduce smoking among adults from 15.5% to 12% or less by 2022. A copy of the TCP is attached.